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Allington Castle
Attractions in Maidstone

What to see in Maidstone, from Allington Castle on

Castles or historic places make up 11 of the 20 places on the list. 6 places to visit are mapped inside Maidstone’s built-up area, with 14 more within 5 km of its edge. On the list, 3 places are looked after: 2 by English Heritage and 1 by the National Trust. Within 1 km of the middle there are 4 of the places on the list. Make a day of it at Canterbury Cathedral, 39 km away.

Photo: Allington Castle, Prioryman (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In Maidstone
6
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
14
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
6
in or near town
Castles & historic places
11
in or near town
Cared for
3
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

What Maidstone is known for

Beyond Allington Castle, there are 4 museums and a palace.

CastleAllington Castlein townMuseumMuseumKent Lifein townMuseumMaidstone Museumin townPalaceThe Archbishop's Palacein townMuseumMuseumQueens Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museumin townMuseumMuseumMuseum of Carriagesin town

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Places on the map

The farthest of them, Teapot Island, is 9 km out.

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The dashed line is Maidstone’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

A breakdown by kind

Castles or historic places number 11, museums or galleries 6.

Museums & galleries 6 museums4 in town · 2 nearby
Castles & historic places 5 castles · 2 historic sites · 1 palace · 1 fort · 1 historic house · 1 abbey or priory2 in town · 9 nearby
Other attractions 3 attractions0 in town · 3 nearby

Green: inside Maidstone. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

3 places are cared for: 2 by English Heritage and 1 by the National Trust (Sutton Valence Castle, St Leonards Tower and Stoneacre).

Every place

The full list

The town has 6; within 5 km of its edge, the list finds 14 more.

The 6 inside Maidstone come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

374 listed buildings and 4 scheduled monuments are on Maidstone’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Maidstone →

Big names nearby

The wider area

First of the 12 big names within reach is Canterbury Cathedral, 39 km away.

CathedralCanterbury Cathedral39 km eastCathedralRochester Cathedral14 km northCastle · English HeritageRochester Castle14 km northCastle · National TrustBodiam Castle30 km southAbbey or priory · English HeritageSaint Augustine's Abbey39 km eastGarden · National TrustSissinghurst Castle and Garden17 km southHistoric houseHever Castle30 km westCastle · English HeritageUpnor Castle15 km northHistoric house · National TrustKnole House22 km westHistoric house · National TrustChartwell31 km westCastleMereworth Castle9.4 km westAbbey or priory · English HeritageBattle Abbey39 km south

Places well known beyond Maidstone (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Before a day out in Maidstone

What are the main attractions in Maidstone?

The best known inside Maidstone’s built-up area are Allington Castle, Kent Life, Maidstone Museum and The Archbishop's Palace. In all, 6 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 14 more within 5 km.

Does Maidstone have a museum?

6 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Maidstone: Kent Life, Maidstone Museum, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum and Museum of Carriages.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Maidstone?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Maidstone, 3 places are cared for: 2 by English Heritage and 1 by the National Trust (Sutton Valence Castle, St Leonards Tower and Stoneacre).

What are the best-known days out near Maidstone?

Within 40 km: Canterbury Cathedral (39 km), Rochester Cathedral (14 km), Rochester Castle (14 km), Bodiam Castle (30 km).

Where are Maidstone’s historic buildings listed?

Maidstone has 374 listed buildings, 8 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Maidstone when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (24)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.